[Dispatch=Yuha Reporter] Comedian Lee Jin-ho has had his suspended prison sentence confirmed.

According to legal circles, Lee Jin-ho and the prosecution did not submit an appeal by the 8th (the appeal deadline). In criminal trials, if an appeal is not filed within seven days of sentencing, the first instance verdict becomes final.

The Suwon District Court Yeoju Branch Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Ahn Tae-yun) sentenced Lee Jin-ho to one year and six months in prison with a three-year suspension on the 1st. He was also ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.

Lee Jin-ho was accused of habitually engaging in illegal gambling from May 2023 to October 2024. He transferred approximately 870 million won to illegal gambling sites across a total of 664 transactions. He gambled after exchanging these funds for cyber money, according to investigation.

He was subsequently caught for drunk driving. On September 24 last year, he drove approximately 70km from Incheon to his home in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province while intoxicated. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.12%, exceeding the license revocation threshold of 0.08%.

The prosecution sought a two-year prison sentence at a final ruling hearing held on the 14th of last month. It requested the court impose an actual prison term, taking into account both charges of habitual gambling and drunk driving.

In his final statement, Lee Jin-ho appealed for leniency, saying, "Since committing the wrongdoing, I have lived with regret, never at ease for a single day. I will not commit crimes again."

<Photo=Dispatch DB>